Mower structure



p 15, 1941- H. w. SIMPSON 2,256,413

MOWER STRUCTURE Original Filed Jan. 22, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.HOWARD w. SIMPSON- ATTORNEYS Sept. 16, 1941. H. w. SIMPSON MOWERSTRUCTURE Original Filed Jan. 22, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 NN 3 8 om w l \wa f 0 O mm mm 2 ow 1 m H mm mm mm o o H H .n II N t 1 om a K 3 mm .u IQm "mm 0 K I; M mm 0. N mm n Nw om\ 0? WV .w on Q 8 vv 3 3 me O o Q P fON\ 0 s R v. 0 E. TN M m o S T W T m A 8 MM OM m w O H Y B vm \BM mm mmSept. 16, 194.1. H. w. SIMPSON 2,256,413

Mowmi STRUCTURE Original Filed Jan. 22, 1940 4 sheets-sheet 5 FI'G.4.

INVENTOR. HOWARD sm son A TTORNEYS I Sept. 16, 1941.

' H. w. SIMPSON MOWER STRUCTURE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 32 FIG. 8.

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28ml: 3| 82 I I v I 7T"! 49 r I y b 2s v ,INVENTOR. HOWARD w SIMPSON BYE ' ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 16, 1941 MOWER STRUCTURE,

Howard W. Simpson, Dearborn, Mich, assignor to Detroit HarvesterCompany, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Original applicationJanuary 22, 1940, Serial No.

315,112, now Patent No. 2,245,448, dated June 10, 1941. Divided and thisapplication May 20, 1940, Serial No. 336,284

- having a main frame ll provided with a front 3 Claims.

Thisinvention relates generally to mower structures such as tractoroperated mowers, and constitutes a division of my application filedJanuary 22, 1940, bearing Serial No. 315,112, new Patent No. 2,245,448,granted June 10, 1941.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved manuallyoperable means for lifting the mower bar support and associated partsrelative to the ground.

Another object is to provide a counterbalancing means in connection withthe lifting means for exerting continuously through a portion of thelifting means a lifting force on the mower bar support.

Another object is to provide a lifting means of the type mentionedwherein th counterbalanced portion of the lifting means is operableindependently of the manually operable lever for effecting the lift andconstructed in such a way that upward movement of the mower bar supportindependently of the manually operable lever is permitted, for example,when the mower bar rides up over a high point on the ground.

Another object is to provide a lifting means that is capable of limitingthe downward position of the mower bar support while permitting theindependent upward movement aforesaid.

Other objects, advantages and novel details of construction of thisinvention will be made more apparent as this description proceeds,especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings,wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my combined tractor-mower with partsbroken away for clear ness;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of my improved tractor-mower combinationwith parts broken away for clearness;

Figure 3 is a front elevation of my improved tractor-mower;

Figure 4 is a rear elevation of my improved tractor-mower;

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of the torque Referring now to thedrawings, I3 is a tractor axle l2 and a rear axle housing l3. A suitablemotor (not shown) is provided within a hood l4 on the frame and isadapted to drive the tractor forwardly and rearwardly through suitabletransmission means including a conventional clutch. The motor is alsoadapted to drive a suitable power take-off, including a shaft l5 andsheave I6.

The mower mechanism comprises a support H to which is secured an innershoe It. The shoe I3 is pivoted to the support for vertical swingingmovement about an axis defined by the pivot connection indicated at ISin Figure 2 and the center of a universal joint 20 within a universallyadjustable housing 2!.

Rigidly secured to theshoe "I8 is a mower arm 22 on which is mounted forlongitudinal recipro- 25 with a crank pin 26 carried by a crank 21driven from the power take-off in a manner which will subsequently bedescribed.

The support I! is connected to the frame ll of the tractor by a bar 28which is secured to the frame of the tractor by a bracket .29 and auniversal connection 30. Accordingly, the'bar 28 permits movement of thesupport I! about the center of the universal joint 30. The connectionbetween the bar 28 and the support IT, as indicated at 3| in Figure 3,permits adjustment of the support l1 about a transverse horizontal axis,as will subsequently be described.

The power take-off shaft l5, previously re-' ferred to, is connected bya plurality of V-belts or other suitable drive means 32 to a pluralityof sheaves 33 mounted on a shaft 34. The shaft 34 is mounted in ahousing 35 rigidly secured as by bolting or otherwise to the rear axlehousing I3 of the tractor. The shaft 34 carries atone end thereof oneelement 36 of a torque transmitting universal joint 3l, the otherelement 38 being connected to the torque transmitting shaft whichtransmits the power to the crank 21. As

best seen in Figure 5, the element 38 of the uni-' versal joint has astub section 40 which is received within a torque transmitting tubularmember 4| rigidly secured thereto as by welding or the like, asindicated at 42. The tubular member 4|, atits opposite end, carries ashaft 43 rigidly secured thereto as indicated by the welded connection44. Shaft 43 is splined=as indicated at 45, and is received within asecond tubular shaft 46 correspondingly splined, as indicated at 41,which is permanently secured to one element 48 of the universal joint 28previously referred to. The connection between the tubular shaft 45 andthe element 48 of the uni versal joint is indicated as comprising ashort section 58 received within tubular shaft 46 and as including awelded connection It will be evident that a torque will be transmittedfrom the single element 38 to the universal joint element 48 through themedium of the tubular member 4|, shaft 43, and tubular shaft 46. At thesame time the parts are telescopically arranged, the tubular shaft 46being adapted to slide longitudinally over the splined shaft 45.

In order to protect the torque transmitting telescopic shafts justdescribed, the tubular housing indicated generally at 52 is provided.This comprises a spherically formed cap 53 cooperating in universallyadjusted relation with a spherically formed inner shell 54 and aspherically formed outer shell 55. Shells 54 and 55, as indicated inFigure 1, are secured to the shaft housing 35, and cooperate therewithto form a complete housing for the universal joint 31. At the oppositeend of the torque transmitting assembly is a spherically formed shell 68cooperating in universally adjusted relation with a spherically formedinner shell 6| and an outer shell 62. Shells 6| and 62, as bestindicated in Figure l, are rigidly secured to a crank shaft housing 63with which they form the housing 2| for the universal joint 28. Housing63 is in turn rigid with the support Intermediate the spherically formedshells 53 and 68, I provide a tubular member 64 welded or otherwisesecured to a flange 65 on shell 53, and a cooperating tubular member 66welded or otherwise secured within a flange 61 formed on the shell 68.

88 is a bell crank pivoted on a stub shaft 88 projecting from a bracket8| carried by the frame of the tractor. Preferably the bell crank 88 isconnected to the support I! by means of a chain 82, and is urged in acounterclockwise direction by a spring 83 connected to a bracket 84secured to the frame Ill of the tractor adjacent the rear axle housingl3. Suitable means indicated at 85 are provided for adjusting thetension of the spring 83.

The bell crank 88 is adapted to apply continuously a lifting force tothe support II, but the force exerted by the spring 83 is less thansufficient to completely counterbalance the weight of the support l1 andits associated structure. Manual meansis provided for further actuatingthe bell crank 88, and this takes the form of a lever 86 pivoted on thestub shaft 88 and having locking means actuated by the release 8!associated with a toothed sector 88 constituting a laterally offsetupward extension of the bracket 8|. (See Figure '7). The bell crank 88,as best seen in Figures 4 and 6, has an offset portion 89 extending intothe path of movement of the lever 86. As a result, movement of the lever86 rearwardly, as seen in Figure 1, results in positive rotation of thebell crank 88 and positive lifting of the support II. By this means itis possible to limit the downward position of the support |I. Since theoffset portion 88 engages lever 86 at one side only, upward movement ofthe support l1, due to external causes such as riding over a high pointon the ground, is permitted. This upward movement of the support I!permits bell crank 88 to rotate under the influence of spring 83, thuscausing offset portions 83 to move away from lever 86. As soon as thesupport I! passes over the high point on the ground, it drops down toits initial position, determined by the setting of lever 86, whereoffset portion 83 again abuts lever 86.

Referring now particularly to Figure 3, the shoe I8 is provided with avertically upstanding arm 98, by means of which the shoe and theassociated mower arm are adapted to be swung upwardly. Secured to theupper end of the arm 98 is a tension spring 3|, the opposite end ofwhich is secured as indicated at 92 to a bracket 93 secured to the frameof the tractor and to which in turn is secured the bracket 8| previouslyreferred to. As best seen in Figure 1, the tension spring 9| exerts aclockwise moment on the shoe I8, and counterbalances a portion of theweight thereof. The spring 9| is selected so that it is insufficient toactually raise the mower arm, but it counterbalances a major portion ofthe weight thereof and permits the mowing arm to rest lightly on theground. As a result, springs 8| and 83 together insure that the movingarm as a whole will rest lightly on the ground, with the spring 83counterbalancing a large portion of the weight of the assembly at theinner end and exerting a direct lift thereon,

and the spring 9| exerts a lifting moment which tends to swing themowing arm vertically.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a mowing machine, an elongated upright bracket attachable at itslower end to a tractor and provided at its upper free end with alaterally projecting portion having on the upper side thereof anupstanding toothed sector, a stub shaft'projecting laterally from thebracket intermediate its ends in spaced substantially parallel relationto the laterally projecting portion aforesaid, means includinga'spring-actuated lever on the stub shaft for'constantly urging a mowingarm of the machine upwardly, said lever having an offset portions, meansincluding a hand lever on the stub shaft adjacent the free end of thelaterally projecting portion of the bracket engageable with the offsetportion of the spring-actuated lever for lifting such mowing arm, andmeans including a latch carried by the hand lever and engageable withthe toothed sector portion of the bracket to control swinging movementof the hand lever on the stub shaft, the offset portion of thespring-actuated lever being engageable with the hand lever to limitdownward movement of the mowing arm.

2. In a mowing machine, an upright bracket attachable to a tractor andprovided with a laterally projecting portion having on the upper sidethereof an upstanding toothed sector, a stub shaft carried by thebracket in spaced substantially parallel relation to the laterallyprojecting portion aforesaid, means including a springactuated lever onthe stubshaft for constantly urging a mowing arm of the machineupwardly, said lever having a lateral projection, means including a handlever on the stub shaft adjacent the free end of the laterallyprojecting portion of the bracket engageable with the lateral projectionof the spring-actuated lever for lifting with the lateral projection ofthe spring-actuated lever for lifting the mowing arm, and meansincluding a latch carried by the hand lever and engageable with thetoothed sector portion of the bracket to control the swinging movementof said hand lever.

- HOWARD W. SIMPSON.

